Hand tools



Jan. l0, 1956 E. c. APPLEGATE HAND TOOLS Filed DSC. 28, 1953 United States Patent HAND TOLS Earl C. Applegate, Chicago, lll.`

` Application December 28, 1953, Serial No. 4%,398

`12 Claims. (Cl. 51-187) This invention relates to improvements in hand tools of the type wherein an abrasive coated strip of sandpaper or the like is held against the working face of a holder shaped to conveniently tit the hand of the user.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide a hand tool of this character embodying such features of construction and assembly as to enable the abrasive strip to be quickly applied to or removed from the tool.

It is also an object of this invention to provide novel means for securely locking the abrasive strip to the working face of the tool.

Other and further objects of the invention reside in the detailed construction of the tool which is designed for simplicity and eciency.

To the attainment of these ends and the accomplishment of other new and useful objects as will appear, the invention consists in the features of novelty in substantially the construction, combination and arrangement of the several parts hereinafter more fully described and claimed and shown in the accompanying drawing illustrating this invention, and in which Fig. lis a top plan view of a hand tool embodying the features of this invention, with portions in section to 'illustrate details of the locking means cooperating with one end portion of the abrasive strip.

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view thereof partly in longitudinal section.

Fig. 3 is an end elevation viewed from the right hand end of Figs. 1 and 2.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary section of a modified form of locking member cooperating with the end portion of the abrasive strip remote from the end portion and cooperating locking member shown in Figs. l, 2 and 3.

Fig. 5 is a detail view of the locking member shown in Fig. l.;

i The `present tool contemplates a block of suitable material, such as wood,` and is shown as having a bottom face of rectangular plan, a top face 11, and parallel upright longitudinal side faces 12 and 13. The top face 11 is cut back from the front end of the bottom face 10 in the form of a rearwardly and upwardly sloping face 14 which joins an upright edge portion 15 defining the front edge portion of the bottom face 10 at a distance slightly above the bottom face 10. The top face 11 isalso offset inwardly from the rear end of the bottom face 10 to form an upwardly facing ledge 16 having a slight rearward and downward pitch. The ledge 16 extends a slight` distance inwardly of the rear limits of the top face 11 by means of an undercut defining a rearwardly opening groove 17 at the inner limits of the ledge 16.

- The bottom face 10is preferably covered with a layer 18 of cork or similar material except for a marginal area of the face 10 adjoining the front upright edge portion of the block which is covered with a strip `19 of rubber. Reference numeral 21 represents a band or ICC strip of abrasive material such as sand paper, which is of such length as to provide an area covering the full area of the bottom face 10, and extensions of said covering area in the form of end portions 22 and 23. The end portion 22 extends about the front edge of the block, across the rearwardly and upwardly sloping face 14 with its terminal edge portion engaged in an upwardly opening slot 24 in the top face 11 of the block in slightly rearwardly spaced position relative to the forward end of the face 11. The slot 24 is inclined forwardly and downwardly in approximately parallel relation to the slope of the face 14. The opposite end portion 22 of the abrasive strip extends around the rear edge of the block so as to overlap the ledge 16 with its terminal edge portion projecting upwardly from the ledge 16 in bridging relation to the groove 17. A resilient clamp of wire or the like, having a pair of jaws 25 and 26 joined at one end by a head portion 25a and a recess or bore 27 extending inwardly from the upright side face 13 of the block in spaced parallel relation to the groove 17, in which bore the jaw 26 has entry and sliding fit, cooperate to force the abrasive strip underlying the jaw 25 into the groove 17 so as to maintain the strip in locked position on the block. In this connection, the strip is also acted on by the rubber strip at the opposite end of the bottom face of the block to maintain the strip in a taut condition between the locked ends of the strip. As shown in the drawing, the jaw 25 engages the strip through a pair of humps 28 and 29 spaced apart lengthwise of the jaw 25 and the free end portion of the jaw 25 is turned slightly outwardly away from the portion of the strip underlying said free end portion. Thus there s no tendency for the abrasive strip to become snagged by the end portion of the jaw 25 as the jaws 25 and 26 are moved from a position wherein the jaw 26 is in retracted position relative to the bore 27 toward a p0- sition wherein the jaw 26 is in fully inserted relation to the bore 27. It will further be noted from the drawings that the jaw 25 is substantially longer than the jaw 26 so as to permit the forward end of the jaw 25 to overlap the abrasive strip pending initial insertion of the jaw 26 into the bore 27. Such initial insertion of the jaw 26 into the bore 27 is accompanied by a camming action set up between the leading endl 30 of the jaw 26 which slants away from the jaw 2S along a line substantially parallel to the slanting side of the hump t 29 directly opposite said leading end 30 of the jaw 26 whereby pushing force applied to the head 25ab in a direction parallel to the bore 27 causes the jaws 25 and 26 to gradually spread apart as an automatic operation. The stress thus put on the jaws 25 `and 26 accordingly provides a rm clamping actionbetween the humps 28 and 29 of the jaw 25` and the abrasive strip portion facing said humps 28 and 29 at the groove 17 without requiring a sharp bending of the strip which would fracture the strip.

lt is desirable to maintain the head 2.5a of the clamp in non-protruding relation to the Iside face 13 of the block which defines the entrance to the' bore 27. i To this end the area of the block between the bore 27 and the groove 17 facing the head 25a is olset inwardly as at 31 a distance suiicient to accommodate arrangement of the head 25a fiush with the side face 13 when the clamp is Vin fully seated position, as shown in Figs. l and 3. Thus the size of the head may be maintained sufficiently broad to be comfortably grasped by the fingers of the operator.

A cylindrical shaped handle 32 arranged with its axis" substantially parallel with the bottom face `10 and of such diameter as to be comfortably gripped by normal exing of the fingers of an operator is mounted in centrally lobiock by a baseportion 33 fastened 'to the "top face 11 of the block. It will be observ'ed from Fig. 3 that the base portion 33 presentsside faces which are offset inwardly.

from the corresponding faces of the handle 32 so as to afford a maximum area vof gripping surface about the handle 432. The distance between the side faces of the block and the s'ideward facingsurfaces of the handle 32 is also sufficient to provide ample clearance for the fingers of the operator relative to a plane projected upwardly from the side facesy of the block, thus affording protection'for 'the knuckles.

An'undercut 34 Vin the end of the base portion v33 at its` junction with the top face .11 of the block in proximity to the end of the'block containing the locking lmember which operates in the bore 27, is .provided with a resilient padSS against the wall of the undercut vfacing the top face .of the block. The pad 35 and the opposed surface of the top face 11 of the block thus provide a berth for releasably trapping the locking member while the latter is temporarily withdrawn from the bore 27 pending removal and replacement of an abrasive strip over the bottom face 1'0. Such a storage means for the locking member tends to minimize 'the chances of accidental misplacement and loss of the same during its removal from the bore 27.

v.When it is desi-red to provide a relatively hard, sharp angle at the front end of the bottom face of the block, the present invention contemplates a plate'of metal having a base portion 36 and an upwardly and rearwardly slanting extension 37 as shown in Fig. 4 of the drawing. The extension 37 is adapted to haverearward engagement ywith the slanting Vface 14 at the front end of the block so as to position the base portion 36 in overlapping relation to a substantial portion of .the bottom face 10 rearwardly of the forward edge of said bottom face as well as a selected distance forward of said bottom face 10. The extension 37 and the surface of the face 14 on the block opposite thereto provide for .such .interengagement as to trap the end 23 of the abrasive strip 21 therebetween in lieu of threading the end 23 of the strip 21 in the slot 24. Thus the need for adding to the length of the strip 21 so as toy conform to the extended area of the bottom face 10 brought about by the forwardly protruding additional area of the ,extension 37 and the base portion 36 is eliminated.

While the y.preferred form of the invention has been herein shown and described, it is to be understood that various changes may be made in the details of construction and in the lcombination and arrangement of the several parts, within the scope of the claims, without departing from the spirit of this invention.

What is claimed is:

l. A hand tool comprising an elongated block having a flat bottom face of generally .rectangular plan and parallel side walls rising upward therefrom at opposite i longitudinal edges thereof, and atop face having its opposite .ends cut back from the corresponding front and rear ends of the bottom face, means for firmly securing a coated abrasive strip along said bottom face and in overlapping relation to the .front and rear ends of the block including a clamp having a jaw mounted forsliding movement in a bore extending inwardly from one of said side walls and a jaw connected thereto adapted to engagea portion of the coated abrasive strip in underlying .relation to said second jaw, and an offset formed in the 'surface of the block facing the connected ends of said jaws whereby said connected ends of said f jaws are Yadapted .to be positioned within the confines of ap'lane projected upwardly of said latter side wall.

'2. A hand 'tool as defined'in claim 1 wherein said block presents a groove into which said abrasive strip yportion in underlying relation 'to said second jaw is pressed by the action of -Said jaws.

3. A hand tool as defined in claim 1 wherein said block is provided with a vhandle extending lengthwise of and in inwardly offset relation to the side walls of the block. said handle being connected to the top face of the block by a base portion offset inwardly from the sidewallward facing surfaces of the handle.

4. A hand tool as defined in claim 1 wherein said block is provided with a cylindrical shaped handle with its axis extending lengthwise of and in central relation to the side walls of' the block, said handle being connected to the top face of the block by azbase portion'offset inwardly from the sidewallward facing surfaces of v.the handle.

5. A hand tool as defined in claim 1 ywhereinV azstrip of resilient material is secured to the bottom face of the block at the front end of the block, said strip being compressible so as to exert pressure on the abrasive strip to maintain the same taut.

6. A hand tool as defined .in claim l wherein the second jaw engages the underlying portion of the abrasive strip through a pair of humps spaced apart lengthwisel of the said jaw and the freeend portion of said .second jaw is turned slightly outwardly away from the portion of the abrasive strip underlying said end portion.

7. A hand tool as defined in claiml wherein the sec-` ond jaw engages the underlying portion of the abrasive strip through a pair of humps spaced apart lengthwise of the said second f.jaw andthe free end portionlof saidV second jaw .is turned slightly outwardly away from the Aportion of the abrasive strip underlying said end portion, and the .first .jawterrninates at its free end at a ldistance .short of the hump on vthe second jaw lmost remote Vfrom the connected ends of said jaws. j

8. A hand tool as defined in claim l wherein the free end or' the first jaw' is bent outwardly away from the second jaw on a slant paraliel to lthe slanting surface .of the hump on `the second jaw .opposite thereto.A

9. A hand tool as defnedin claim 1 wherein a metali plate engageable with the'nottom face of the block and a rearwardly slanting extension at one end of said plate cooperate with the front end of the block tolock an end portion of the coated abrasive strip tothe block.

l0. Aha-nd tool as defined in claim 1 having a handle extending upwardly from the top face of the block, -and a recess yprovided between the top face yof the yblock and the opposite portion of the handle is adapted to removably hold the clamp when the latter is removed Vfrom f the bore.

11. A hand tool .as defined in claim l wherein 'the jaws of the tclamp and the surfaces ofthe block engaged thereby dur-ing initial insertion of the jaws toward anl operative position cooperate to 'gradually spread the jaws apart.

l2. A hand tool as defined in claim l wherein jaws are connected by a head .portion of such `span .as

to afford comfortable finger gripping facilities.

References Cited in the file of thispatent UNITED STATES PATENTS Gernez Feb. 20,

f France Oct.' 17, 

